At Landau Forte Academy QEMS we recognise not only the importance of allowing students to flourish academically but we also embrace our wider role in preparing them for their adult life beyond the formal curriculum. Part of our role in that preparation is ensuring that we promote and reinforce British values to our students.
The government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy and considered them to be democracy, rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs. At QEMS these values are reinforced in a pervasive manner and permeate the school community.
The examples that follow are an indication of some of the many ways we seek to embed British values at QEMS and should be seen as an indication of our approach rather than an exhaustive list.
Democracy
At QEMS the principle of democracy is reinforced, with the democratic process being employed for important decisions within the school community, for instance, elections being held for our Student Leadership body. The principle of democracy is explored in History and Religious Studies as well as in Personal Tutorial time and assemblies.
The rule of law
The importance of laws, whether they be those that govern the class, the school, or the country, are consistently reinforced throughout regular school days, as well as when dealing with behaviour and through school assemblies. Students are taught the values and reasons behind laws, that they govern and protect us, the responsibilities that this involves and the consequences when laws are broken. Visits from authorities such as the Police and Fire Service are regular parts of our calendar and help reinforce this message.
Individual liberty
Within QEMS students are actively encouraged to make independent choices knowing that they are in a safe, secure and supportive environment. Students are encouraged to know, understand and exercise their rights, responsibilities and personal freedoms and receive advice about how to exercise these safely, for example through our exploration of E-Safety in ICT and PSHE, and in their Personal Tutorial time activities.
Mutual respect
Respect is at the core of our ethos and is modelled by students and staff alike. QEMS promotes respect for others and this is reiterated through our learning environments. In line with our commitment to democracy students at QEMS are always able to voice their opinions and we foster an environment where students are safe to disagree with each other. Mutual respect is embraced throughout the curriculum from the concept of ‘fair play’ in PE to the student mentoring activities in Personal Tutorial time, which promote mutual respect and support between students across different year groups within the school.
Tolerance of those of different faiths and beliefs
This is achieved through equipping students with the ability to understand their place in a culturally diverse society and by giving them opportunities to experience such diversity especially through cultural studies in art and music. We run trips, including trips abroad, from which our students gain valuable experience of other cultures and languages. Additionally, students are actively encouraged to share their views, faith and beliefs in a range of subjects. Our Religious Studies curriculum provides a broad and balanced education on a range of faiths, religions and cultures.